(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a composition for the freshness-preservation of foodstuffs. More particularly, this invention relates to an antibacterial composition for the freshness-preservation of foodstuffs comprising a triglyceride of saturated fatty acids as an active base.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of food preservatives have been used in the storage of farm products, livestock products, seafood, and the like to effect preservation, the water retainment, and storage. Such preservatives include, for example, paraffin wax used for apple and mandarin orange, antioxidant used for seafood, and white oil for livestock products.
Storage at a low temperature has been a usual practice to preserve the freshness and to retain water of vegetables such as radish, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, and green pepper. A low viscosity paraffinic oil as preservative has been used in the storage of livestock products such as pork and beef. Further, the so-called preservatives have been used as food additives in the storage of seafood such as roes of salmon and herring, as well as dried fish.
Although these additives have been approved for use as food preservatives in the storage of fresh foodstuffs for the purpose of freshness-preservation, water-retainment, and storage, the search for new, safe and effective food preservatives has intensified recently because of increased concern about the overall safety of some of the known additives, white oil in particular, which are derived from mineral oil or are synthetic materials.
Under present circumstances, there is a strong indication in Europe and the United States that mineral oil including white oil may be limited or prohibited by law from use as a food preservative.
It has now been found that specific triglyceride of saturated fatty acids exhibit an excellent food-preservative effect for use in the storage of fresh foodstuffs.